US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Fox News that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been working “day and night for weeks” on ceasefire negotiations, Al Jazeera reports.

“They’ve made a lot of progress, and they’re close,” Rubio said.

“We’re optimistic and hopeful that any day now, we will have a ceasefire agreement where at least half the hostages, including the deceased, will be released, and at the end of that 60-day period, the remaining hostages will be released,” he said.

Speaking about the captives still held in Gaza, Rubio said: “The good news is every American is out now. We care about all the hostages.”

“There’s a very simple solution to what’s happening in Gaza. Release all the hostages, lay down your arms, and the war ends for Hamas,” he said.